3. Track each component of your meal.
An even better alternative to the averaging-estimation method is to track the individual components of your meal. For example, if you choose to enjoy a chicken salad with quinoa, corn, sweet potato, tahini dressing and crispy croutons, adding “chicken salad” to your meal plan tracker won’t provide a very accurate reflection of what you’ve just eaten. Instead, add each component of your salad individually to your tracking app, giving your best guess as to the quantity of each ingredient you ate. In this instance, you might add 200 g of chicken breast, ½ corn cob, ½ cup sweet potato, ¼ cup quinoa, 1 tbsp of tahini dressing, and 50 g croutons – giving you a much more accurate estimate than you’d have if you’d simply selected “chicken salad”. The more specific you can be with the ingredients in your meal, the better.
And if you struggle to estimate quantities of the ingredients in your meal, round up when in doubt. For example, if you’re not sure whether your salad had 1 or 2 tablespoons of dressing, add 2 tablespoons to your tracking app. Chances are, you’re more likely to underestimate how much you’ve consumed when eating out, so round up to be on the safe side.
4. Ask questions.
Equally, sometimes it can be really tricky to guess what’s actually in your meal. You might not be sure which oils your meal was cooked in, or it might have a delicious sauce or dressing which you can’t possibly pinpoint the ingredients of.
If this is the case, ask questions! Don’t be afraid to ask your server or the kitchen to shed some light on your questions. You can explain to them you have dietary requirements or goals if needed, but they’re also likely used to many questions surrounding ingredients and allergens in their meals – after all, we can all be a fussy bunch of customers! So don’t be afraid to speak up or ask all the questions while you order – it could be the thing that keeps you on track with your health goals later on.
5. Don’t forget to account for ingredients you can’t necessarily “see”.
Many people find, when tracking meals they’ve eaten out, they forget to include ingredients or elements they can’t necessarily “see”. Things like oils, dressings, sugars, butter or ghee, anything used in the cooking process or to add flavour that isn’t an entire element on its own. These often fall to the wayside and get left out when you’re tracking your meals in your Equalution app, yet they regularly add a significant number of calories to your meals, so it’s a big oversight if you forget to add them in.
If you’re unsure, again it’s a good idea to ask the restaurant if your meal is cooked in oil, or if it contains sugars in the sauce or dressing it contains. This will help you more accurately track your meal in your app, and get a better idea of the number of calories you’ve consumed.
6. Make smart choices, and don’t stress too much.
While tracking is a very useful tool in helping you achieve your health and nutrition goals, it’s not worth stressing excessively over, to the point where you don’t enjoy your meal out with your friends or loved ones. Just try to do the best you can when it comes to tracking the food you eat while dining out, and estimate as accurately as possible. But beyond this, enjoy yourself! If you’re finding tracking your meals extremely difficult when eating out, try these tips to keep your calorie intake aligned to your goals, even if you’re not tracking too accurately:
- Don’t go overboard on the drinks. This is where many people slip up and blow out with their calorie intake. While it’s fine to enjoy a glass of wine or two on occasion, try to avoid sugary soft drinks, sodas and syrupy co*cktails, and opt for water or soda water where possible.
- If you order a meal and you’re served a huge portion, ask for a takeaway container right away, and put any extra food beyond a normal serving size in the container to take home. It’s all too tempting to keep eating far beyond fullness if the food is right there in front of you on your plate, begging to be eaten!
- Ask for dressings or sauces on the side, so you can add as much or little as you like to your dish. This helps with tracking too, as it’s easier to estimate how much you’ve consumed when you’ve added it yourself.
- Opt for grilled, baked or boiled foods or dishes, over fried or breaded alternatives.
- If possible, swap your side of chips for a salad or some grilled veggies – extra nutrients, and fewer calories!
- Remember, dessert and entrees count too! Factor these into your calorie targets when you’re tracking, as these can really blow out your calorie intake within one meal.
Now you have the tools and understanding of how best to track your meals when eating out, but remember – you don’t have to stress about it too much! Make the most of the time you spend enjoying a meal out with loved ones, and know that you can get right back on track with your Equalution meal plan the remainder of the time. If you’re eating out in moderation, and sticking to your meal plan throughout the rest of the week, you can absolutely stay on track with your health goals – without the need to panic or feel restricted!
By Equalution’s Lead Nutrition Coach, Caillin Bursill.
